Hey y’all, this is a re-blog. I tried to post this last week and for some reason it didn’t go. So, here’s the updated version.

Well Harvest Fest has come and gone. Man! What a kick ass festival this year. It was too good! So many great acts! I saw a lot of tunes and met a few idols of mine so needless to say I had a truly epic weekend. Add to that, I won the contest so many of you were voting as well! Yup! I’ll be heading back to Beale St in Memphis Tennessee in February to compete in the solo/duo category for the International Blues Challenge. There’s gonna be some good times there! BBQ!!!! MUSIC!!!! oh yeah!

I want to sincerely thank everyone who helped wave my flag. I won the online portion, voting on site portion and the judges portion! I’m very happy and proud that I could do my part as well as y’all did yours. Thanks so much for the support.

I had a great weekend. I did a couple shows in PEI with my pal Mike Dixon of the Saddle River String Band fame. We played the Lefurgy House on Thursday night and then the Trailside Cafe on Friday night. These were a hoot. Mike and I haven’t really hung out since we were in Vancouver at the Olympics. What a time that was! Saturday night I performed solo at The Parkindale Hall in NB. Very cool little venue. Great vibes, fun to sing in. It was real a nice listening crowd.

wel if you’ve been online past day or two and are a friend of mine on FB or a follower on twitter (@rossneilsen) you know I’m smack dab in the middle of an online voting thingymabobbler. It’s true. Here’s the deets:

Harvest Jazz & Blues is having a contest (ick) to pick an artist to represent them at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, this January. 50% of the voting is done online right HERE and the other 50% will be old school….real live judges at the actual performance. The Live portion of the contest is held this Saturday at the Barracks Tent in downtown Fredericton from 2-4pm. There are three other acts on the bill.

Everyone knows music contests suck BUT….the fact of the matter is, that it’s a great opportunity. The worlds leading Blues-ies will be in Memphis for this and I’d like to go back and hob nob with some buyers, agents etc. What’s that? Back you say? Yes, that’s correct. You may recall a young whippersnapper by the name of Matt Andersen who won the 2010 solo/duo category. At that time, the Bastards and I were in Memphis competing in the band category. We got to watch Matty destroy Memphis with his skills! It was a blast. Then we ate ribs! Mmmmm ribs!

Anyhow, I was honoured Harvest asked me to throw my skills in their contest and I’m not going to lie, I want this one folks. I have some pals in Memphis and Mizzip that I’d like to see and I wouldn’t mind playing some blues on Beale St again thats for sure!

So if you dig what I do, head on over to http://www.cbc.ca/nb/features/blueschallenge/ and give ole needy Rossco a vote would ya?? If you DON’T dig what I do, I’m not sure why yer reading this but it’s your chance to foil me….head on over to the link and vote, just be careful you don’t accidentally vote for moi!!!!

Thanks a lot for the support folks. I know y’all don’t mind supporting but it is hard to constantly ask and it sure does warm that big empty hole in my chest where my heart might live.

I’m gonna leave y’all with a video that has a nice double connection. The tune is “Back to Memphis”. It’s a Chuck Berry tune. This version is by The Band with Levon Helm on vocals. You may or may not know Levon and his band will be in Fredericton at The Bud light tent on Thursday night. Yours truly will be opening the night with a solo set!

Hope to see y’all Saturday at The Barracks fro 2-4pm for the Blues Showdown of the year!!!!

Before I get into the meat of this post I want to say quickly that we just returned from what I think was our most successful tour of Ontario. It was short but sweet. Played some new venues, including a LAKE!!!!!
We had to get boated in…you know, cause it’s an island….

We got to hang with some old friends and I got to jam with someone I’ve been waiting to play with for a couple years….Donna Grantis.
If you don’t know of Donna, she is a Toronto based axe slinger and man can she play. She is Shakura S’aida’s main geetar gal and also fronts her own rocking trio which is poised to release a brand new kick axe instrumental record very soon. Keep an ear out for it. It’s all Led Zepp meets Hendrix kinda goodness!

Ok, so….lots of people wait all year for Christmas to come. My Christmas isn’t in December though…Mine is in September. Every year during the third week of September, Fredericton New Brunswick is transformed into a world class meeting grounds for Blues players and Blues Fans alike. I have been coming to Harvest Jazz and Blues for nearly two decades. I remember watching Big Sugar play, when they were still riding on 500 lbs (amazing album), in the parking lot downtown that is now called the tannery. I remember seeing Duke Robillard, Pinetop Perkins, Jon Cleary, Dr. John, Buddy Guy and so many others I’d have to rent more webspace to post them all. I’ve seen it grow from fledgling festival to world class. The past five years alone has seen Harvest jump to a world stage bringing in acts you’d see at any other festival. ANYWHERE. Over the years as a patron I’ve had many memories I’ll cherish forever (many i can’t remember too!) and over the last decade or so I’ve slowly been growing my musical self as well. In 2005 I won The rising star award at Harvest and began my real journey into my true career. Over the past six years Harvest has supported me time and time again, showing me that they believe in what I do by putting me, and me with The Bastards, on bills with Buddy Guy, Joel Plaskett, (almost Gregg Allman), and now Levon Helm and Jonny Lang. This kind of support means a lot to me and to be able to do shows of this level in our hometown means even more. You may recall in 2010, that Harvest sent The Bastards and I, to Memphis to compete in the International Blues Challenge. That was the year our Brother Matt Andersen won the solo/duo category!
It was amazing to watch Matt in the finals in the beautiful Orpheum Theatre and even more amazing to watch the look on peoples faces as he destroyed the room with only three songs.

Well I’m honoured, again, to say that I will be competing with a few other acts on Saturday Sept 17th at The Barracks stage from 2-4pm to try and once again win a trip Back to Beale street to compete in the IBC. This time, though I’ll be going as a solo performer. Although I started my real music career as a solo performer over the years the Bastards have taken my focus as we’ve worked hard to travel the nation doing what we do. I’ve never stopped performing solo though, and I still do a winter solo tour every year. I’m nervous and honoured to be making this attempt to get Back to Beale all by my lonesome. So, here’s the kicker….as with all music contests these days, 50% of the vote is judged at the performance, and 50% is of course…ONLINE VOTING….booo, hissssss, I know, I know. Wasn’t it just yesterday I was pestering you for Taylor guitar contest votes? Well I’m gonna ask once more, friends that you help me Back to Beale and vote as often and with as many email addy’s that you can. This Monday voting begins on the CBC website. Rest assured you can visit this very site and there will be a link to the CBC page. I know it’s a pain in the ass but I’m only asking because I love what I do and I know some of you out there enjoy it too and are willing to help at the drop of a hat. So I encourage you, tell your friends, post on your facebook, tweet, text, talk about it! I’m humbly asking for your help but I’m going to be honest here… I Want To Win. I believe I can with your help. What do you say?

Stay tuned for the link and voting details. I’ll post them as soon as I have them. MUCH thanks in advance. Y’all rawk! Hope to see you at the Barracks this Saturday from 2-4pm, or at any of the Harvest events for that matter! What a week to be alive!!!!

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